TV PICKS OF THE WEEK
TOTP: THE STORY OF 1997 Tonight, BBC2, 8.30pm
An evening of programmes dedicated to the year 1997 in music begins with another of the BBC’s excellent documentaries in which those who lived through it come up with various musings and anecdotes.
Girl Power continued to dominate the singles charts – apart from in the case of Elton John’s Candle in the Wind, reworked in tribute to his friend Diana, Princess of Wales – but rock took precedence in album sales, with Oasis and Radiohead both releasing their blockbusting third albums. The show is followed at 9.30pm by TOTP: Biggest Hits 1997.
BRITISH ACADEMY TELEVISION AWARDS 2022 Tomorrow, BBC1, 6pm
Richard Ayoade is our host at London’s Royal Festival Hall as the great and good of British TV gather to celebrate the shows and performers who have made a mark during the past 12 months.
The ceremony is actually split in two, the Craft Awards having taken place a fortnight ago. Programmes
expected to do well tonight include Russell T Davies’ blockbusting Channel 4 drama It’s a Sin, which is in the running for six trophies. The likes of Manhunt: The Night Stalker, Vigil, Unforgotten and In My Skin may also nab a few gongs.
FERGAL KEANE: LIVING WITH PTSD
Monday, BBC2, 9pm
As a BBC Special Correspondent, Fergal Keane’s job has taken him from Kigali to Baghdad to Belfast – he’s effectively spent 30 years covering conflict and
brutality. His reporting has been praised for its humanity and empathy, but away from the camera, Fergal was suffering from an acute form of post-traumatic stress disorder. He first went public with his diagnosis in 2020, and in this documentary, he talks openly about
living with PTSD.
JAY BLADES: NO PLACE LIKE HOME
Tuesday, Channel 5, 9pm The second episode in the series in which the Repair Shop presenter learns more about the history of the places
where he grew up, takes Jay back to his teenage home in Stoke Newton.
He learns that the street was totally transformed after being hit by a V-1 rocket (aka a doodlebug) during the Second Word War, and speaks to Doreen Lavelle, who can recall the night in question.
MADELEINE McCANN: THE CASE AGAINST CHRISTIAN B
Wednesday, Channel 5, 9pm
Former detective-turnedinvestigative journalist Mark WilliamsThomas carries out the first active British TV investigation into Madeleine McCann ‘prime suspect’ Christian B.
He obtains an account from Christian B himself and tests it against verifiable facts. On the ground, Mark delves into Christian B’s previous offences both as a sex offender and breaking into properties. Mark pieces together where Christian B was thought to be living when Madeleine disappeared and discovers what appear to be weaknesses in the German prosecution case.
CHIVALRY Thursday, Channel 4, 10pm
Steve Coogan is a man of many talents, not just comedy. The star is currently on the road with his Alan
Partridge stage tour, and in this timely drama offers a fresh new look on gender politics and romance. In the penultimate episode, Cameron (Coogan) and Bobby (Sarah Solemani) attempt to take a break from work but find themselves in the middle of a crisis when a damning video goes viral.
EUROVISION: SECRETS AND SCANDALS Friday, Channel 5, 8pm
On Saturday, May 14, the Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Turin, Italy. This documentary reminds us that behind the camp costumes and seemingly nonsensical lyrics lies a competition riven with politics, diva behaviour and controversy.
It also turns out that moaning that the UK failed to win due to countries conspiring against us isn’t a new phenomenon as the show explores the rumours that Cliff Richard was robbed of a 1968 win by General Franco of Spain.